


Unexpected Doesn't Equal Unwanted

by ninwrites



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec adopts Madzie, Alternate Universe - Human, Domestic Fluff, Easter, First Meetings, Gen, M/M, Single Parent Alec Lightwood, To Be Continued, easter fair fun, holiday fic, it's just a bunch of cute fluff tbh, probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 03:39:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10654131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninwrites/pseuds/ninwrites
Summary: loosely (with some changes) based on the prompt:"you're dressed as the easter bunny at our town's easter egg hunt and i take my younger sibling, but she's afraid of people in costumes and you take off the bunny head to apologise and hey you're kinda cute"





	Unexpected Doesn't Equal Unwanted

**Author's Note:**

> please just skip past the title I wrote it in like five minutes, and to be honest this whole fic was written in around two-three days because I had the idea and wanted to write it, and forgot to take into consideration how little time I'd actually have over the Easter weekend. 
> 
> (everything in this is probably mildly inaccurate, please keep in mind that I am not a doctor and I wrote this literally in two days. thanks.)
> 
> i hope you enjoy it!! <3 
> 
> \--
> 
> dedicated to my oldest friend, for whom Madz has become more than just a nickname. <3

"Madzie? Breakfast."

Alec slides the plate of French toast onto the round dining table just as a quick bundle of dark braids and childlike glee bounds into the room. He grips her shoulder before she can sit down, gentle enough to get her attention but nowhere near enough to cause any discomfort.

"Hey, kiddo." He tries to be stern, though his smile betrays his efforts. "No running, okay? There's nowhere you need to go that walking cannot take you."

His daughter, an exciting seven years of age and never static, simply nods. "Sorry, Dad."

"It's okay, I just don't want you to hurt yourself. Now have a seat, I've made French toast-" Alec refrains from breaking out in a full-blown grin when Madzie claps her hands excitedly. "And then you're off to school."

He pulls her chair out for her, his heart grown thrice it's size for the girl before him. It hadn't been easy, the journey he's had to take, that they've both had to take, but it's undoubtedly worth every difficult moment.

 

* * *

 

 

**Three Years Prior**

_Alec rubs his day-old beard with one hand and picks up the top clipboard with the other. He's been awake for, roughly sixteen hours, give or take, and his last coffee is steadily wearing off. Somewhat fortunately, the E.R department he's been assigned to is full, all the other residents are focused in the main section, so he's left consulting with patients already admitted._

_"Seen better days, Lightwood?"_

_Aline Penhallow, one of the departments rising nurses, leans her elbows on the desk. She's been assigned to the center desk, which is both a blessing and a curse - it doesn't involve running around from one end to the other, but whoever mans it has to handle all manners of patients and extended loved ones, as well as the phones which Alec knows is a torture in and of itself._

_"I just need some caffeine." Alec shrugs. "Or a week's worth of sleep. Either would be fantastic right about now."_

_Aline waves a pen in his direction. "I second that. Do you want me to duck down to the break room and get you a cup?"_

_"You'll take any excuse to get out of doing real work," Alec quips, flipping over the front page of the file. "No, thanks. I can trudge through another hour. I hope."_

_It's a child. Cases with kids are always the hardest, regardless of whatever the problem is. A kid with a broken leg can hurt as much as a kid with pnemonia, for the simple fact that seeing them so downtrodden pierces into one's heart like an ice pick._

_From what the file reads, it's a girl, around four years of age, with seemingly no prior medical issues ... that could, of course, be because they're trying to track her medical history. She doesn't have any residence or family listed either, which is perhaps the strangest part._

_"Is that the orphaned girl?" Aline asks. "The one brought in for shock and suspected breathing complications?"_

_Alec skim reads the file. "Yeah, looks like it. She's an orphan?"_

_Aline nods, thin-lipped. "From what I heard, she was found by police after they raided a residence suspected of human trafficking. They're still investigating the house and the owner, but she was found in there with a bunch of pregnant teenage girls and other small children."_

_Aline and Alec share a constricted grimace. "She refuses to talk to anyone, so we don't know if she's got any family or underlying medical issues. I think Lydia was going to have a look after she finished her rounds in maternity with the other girls, but if you want to have a look, I can't see there being a problem."_

_Alec breathes in deeply. "Someone needs to check on her, she's probably terrified. It's no wonder she refuses to talk. I'll have a look at her, just let Lydia know for me?"_

_"Will do. Good luck."_

_Alec nods his thanks, and turns on his heel, file still open in his hand. There isn't much to know - no name, no DOB or precautions. They'll need to find out who she is, and quickly, in case she's allergic to something. The last thing she needs is her suffering extended in any way._

_The young girl is waiting in a makeshift ward off to the far end of the corridor, in an area that is quieter than the rest. Alec takes a deep breath before pulling the powder blue curtain aside, the familiar swish of the fabric settling him - he has a patient to take care of, and that's what he's going to do._

_"Hello," He keeps his voice low and soft, his movements slow enough that he doesn't startle the poor girl. "I'm Doctor Lightwood, I'm here to see how you're feeling."_

_The girl blinks at him with wide, dark doe eyes that are startingly piercing. She doesn't say anything, just watches him as he steps forward, carefully unwinding the stethoscope from around his neck._

_"Can I check your heartbeat?" He asks, a respectful distance away. The girl blinks, again, and then nods._

_Alec guides her forward, a gentle hand on the back of her neck. "This might be a little cold," He explains, bringing the metal disc to her skin. "But I'll try and be quick."_

_There's no response, and the girl doesn't flinch when he presses the stethoscope to her back. Her heartbeat is steady, if a little erratic - understandable considering the foreign situation she's found herself in. There's nothing really out of the ordinary, though, which is all that he was really hoping for. Her breathing is a little raspy, but nothing too dangerous at this point - she'll need to be checked periodically, in case something changes, but for the moment she's okay._

_"You're a very brave girl," He comments, pulling back. "I like your braids."_

_Her hair is dark and fine, fragle wires curled into tight coils. Whoever styled it did so with experience of how to handle the hair type, with implies they'd had some level of care for her. Which brings into more questions that he doesn't have the time, or the answers for._

_He's surprised, when he glances back to see the young girl smiling a little. It isn't a lot, but it's something, and it's more than he had, more than he even expected._

_"Thank you." The girl whispers, so quiet and unexpected, Alec almost missed it._

_He smiles. "You're welcome."_

_He checks her vitals and the monitor, and is just about to leave when he hears her voice break the silence, as cautiously as before._

_"Nana calls me Madzie."_

_Alec stifles a grin, he hadn't expected to get anything from her, let alone her name. He turns around slowly, hands clasped behind his back._

_"Do you mind if I call you Madzie?" He asks._

_There's a pause, during which Alec simply waits patiently, and then Madzie nods her affirmation._

_"You're nice." She states, her dark eyes boring into his own with an intensity that is unsual for someone her age. "I like you."_

_"I like you too." Alec replies. "I just have to check on a few other people - would you prefer if I came back to check on you, or do you trust me to bring in someone else?"_

_Madzie's nose scrunches up, as she mulls over his question. "I trust you." She says, slowly. "But, I like_ you _."_

_Her point comes across clearly. Unless there is no other option, she would prefer for Alec to check on her. Considering the upheave in her surroundings recently, he understands her wish for some semblance of stability._

_"I'll be back as soon as I can." He promises._

_Lydia and him are close enough that he believes he can convince her to take patients for him, so that he can make Madzie his first priority. She needs something to depend on at the moment, and if he is all she has, he's not going to let her down._

 

* * *

 

"How's Madzie?"

Alec smiles even at just the name of his daughter. "Bubbly, as always. She was practically running around the kitchen this morning, because I made her French toast."

Lydia bumps his shoulder with her own. "You're such a dorky dad." She states, handing him a clipboard. "Good old Mrs Ash, back again for her 'bad hip'. I've set her up with a drip, she seems pretty happy."

"How am I a dorky dad?" Alec asks, leaning against the nurse's desk. "I made breakfast."

"You made her a special breakfast on a school day." Aline pipes up, rounding the corner. She flops onto her chair with the tired grace of someone halfway through a full-day shift. "It's gross how much of a Dad you are."

"I think it's sweet," Lydia counters with a pointed look. "Are you guys doing anything for Easter?"

"I was thinking about taking her to the local fair, the one a few blocks down from the middle school? I've wanted to take her for years, but I didn't want anything to scare her. Now that she's older..."

"Right," Lydia marks something on to her own clipboard. "She's, what, seven now?"

"Next month." Alec feels a sense of giddiness wash over him.

They hadn't been able to determine exactly when she was born, only the rough year, so Alec gave her the option of choosing a date. When she's older, if she wants to look into her actual birthdate he's not going to stop her, but while she's so young, she needs stability more than accuracy. Madzie had chosen May seventeenth, because she liked the sound of it, basically.

"Wow," Aline whistles beneath her breath. "Time flies."

"Sure does," Alec finishes marking his patient's admittance sheet, and then taps the clipboard against the desk. "Okay, I'm going to check on Mrs Ash. If someone doesn't see her soon, she'll start buzzing the coms and I don't need that kind of headache today."

Aline groans and tucks her hair behind her ear. She'd recently got it cut, and the bob was something she's trying to get used to. "Oh, I forgot she does that."

"You know, I really think she's just lonely." Lydia shrugs. "What other reason does she have for coming here at least twice a week for this or that."

"If she's lonely, she should get a cat." Aline rolls her eyes. "It would certainly cost us a lot less."

"In here, she's just another patient." Alec says diplomatically. "After this, do you want to head downstairs and get a bite? I'm starving."

"Didn't make enough French toast for yourself?" Aline jibes.

"For your information," Alec sighs. "No."

The soft laughter of his friends follows him down the hall.

 

* * *

 

"You're joking, right?" Nervous laughter bubbles from Magnus' throat. "You're not actually serious. You can't be."

His colleague, and resident source of fun - sarcasm heavily implied - simply stares at him. "No. I'm not joking. I'm entirely serious, Magnus. This is the task you've been given for the fair."

Magnus collapses at his desk. "Why?" He groans, head held pitifully in his hands.

Raphael sighs, as though Magnus is the problem. "Because you missed the last council meeting where roles were elected, and as such you were given the job nobody else wanted."

Raphael settles down at his own desk, shuffling through the papers waiting there, seemingly mindless of the torment Magnus is currently being put through. They have their own office together, which can be both a blessing and a downright curse depending on their combined moods.

"But I'd look horrific in that costume, and it's so old it carries around a stale, musty smell." Magnus complains, sinking until his head is resting against the folders of his desk. "What did I do in a past life to deserve such punishment?"

Raphael doesn't grace him with a response, which Magnus only finds mildly irritating.

"I mean, really. You miss one meeting, due to unforeseen circumstances-"

"A sale does not count as unforeseen circumstances Magnus, as a member of the council you should have been here." Raphael comments drily. "And as for the costume, no one will be able to recognise you inside of it anyway."

"This beautiful face," Magnus lifts his head up, fluttering his eyelashes at Raphael dramatically. "Should not be kept from the public. It's an utter shame."

"Your existence is an utter shame," Raphael snipes.

"Wow, the middle school comeback." Magnus quips sarcastically. "How mature of you."

" _Dios,_ Magnus." Raphael sighs exasperatedly. "What would you like me to do?"

Magnus pretends to consider his response. "Well, if you're asking - you could always wear the costume instead..."

"I'm manning the raffle booth," Raphael smirks, sharply. "And handling the finances, which I don't think you should be trusted with. You will wear that costume, and you will be nice to the children and families because you don't really have a choice."

"Remind me, dear, why we are friends?" Magnus summons as sweet a smile as he can. "Your harsh words wound me, have you nothing nice to say?"

"In regards to this matter..." Raphael stares. _"Creo que no_. I don't think so."

"Maybe I can make a new costume, one that's less outdated and easier to breathe in." Magnus ponders, leaning back in his chair. "Preferably one without a head on it. I mean honestly, how am I supposed to even breathe with that thing on?"

"Perhaps you're not." Raphael's lips are pressed together firmly, and Magnus honestly can't tell if he's being serious or not. "As for making your own costume, I can't imagine that will work out well for you, considering the fair is in three days."

Magnus waves a hand at Raphael, figuratively dismissing his comment. "You underestimate me, Raphael."

"No, you overestimate yourself. I know you are of the belief that you are omnipotent, but unfortunately for you, that is not a truth." There's a veiled honesty in Raphael's eyes, an imploring sense of kindness that's rare for him. "Not even the great Magnus Bane could pull off such a feat in three days. Not with the other work you already have."

"Already?" Magnus echoes. "Do you not see the stack of perfectly lamenated files on my desk?"

Raphael pulls open the second drawer of his desk, and brings from it a three-inch stack of papers, courteously binded together in even sections. "These are from the last meeting - transcript, notes, plus the changes for the new art vault you're pushing for."

"Are they finally going to build it?" Magnus asks, drily and mostly to himself. "You'd think after altering the blueprints for the fourth time..."

It had been a willing decision to join the council, his art and history degree had been time well spent, but he needed something to do with his free time. Free time quickly became Sunday evenings catching up on Project Runway with leftovers and his cat. Which is fine, because arts and culture is what he's on the council for, and once he gets his art vault up-and-running, he can curate and manage it.

The only problem being that the other council members keep pushing his plea back in favour of other things, like fixing roads that don't need to be redone, and building another intersection five metres down the street from another one.

And then, of course, they decide to stick him up for costume duty for the Easter fair because everyone else is very coincidentally preoccupied with something else.

 

* * *

 

"Are you all dressed, sweets?" Alec never used to be one for pet-names, before he adopted a daughter and his whole world changed. Pet-names are the least weird thing that's different now.

He waits on the other side of Madzie's bedroom door, hand raised to knock again if he needs to.

"Uh ... kind of."

Alec frowns, his hand sliding down to the door handle. "Is it okay if I come in?"

The response is distant but quick. "Yeah."

Madzie is sitting on the side of her bed, atop an adorable galaxy print bedspread with copious amounts of stuffed animals, her favourite being a blue whale for reasons Alec isn't privy to. She's paired a light pink capped sleeve dress with her red and white polka dotted neck scarf and white dress shoes, and she's probably the cutest thing Alec has ever seen.

However, she's looking at the butterfly rug on her floor and not at him and he can't stand the pout she's sporting because it means that something is wrong. It had taken him a little while, but Alec knows how to approach a situation like this in a way that won't make things worse.

"Hey, bug." He crosses the room slowly, hands casually in the pockets of his stonewash jeans.

He can't remember where the nickname came from, just that it was one of the first things Madzie responded to positively. It's became both a term of endearment and a affectionate point of contact for them both.

"May I sit?" Alec asks, nodding to the space beside Madzie. She looks up at him and nods - she's like him in the aspect that neither are big fans of talking.

Alec lowers himself onto the bed slowly. "I like your outfit choice today," He comments, brushing his fingers softly against her neck tie. It had been the one thing she'd brought from what he refers to as her 'old life'.

Madzie brushes her hands along her skirt. "Thanks. This is the new dress Aunt Izzy got me last week." She swings her legs, her feet barely skimming the floor. "And the shoes match the dots on my scarf."

"That they do." Alec nods, thoughtfully. "I think you look very pretty."

Madzie shrugs, which clues Alec, a little, into what's wrong - her favourite flower-print parka is lying on the end of her bed, and she's wearing her favourite scarf...

"Sweets, did you brush your hair?" It's pulled into a rough bun, the fuzzy texture indicative of her attempt to style it herself.

"I tried." Madzie sighs. "I wanted to make it look like you do it, but it didn't work and now it's all messy and-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Alec wraps an arm around her shoulders, squeezing gently. She lets her head lean against his chest, her hair tickling his chin. "You tried, didn't you? That's all anyone can be expected of."

"I guess." Madzie mumbles into his sweater. "Can you fix it for me?"

"Of course, love." Alec rubs her arm comfortingly. "Do you want braids?"

"Yeah," Madzie pulls back so that she can actually look at Alec. "With the little red ribbons?"

"If you want." Alec leans down and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I promise, you're going to be the prettiest girl at the Easter fair. Because you're a beautiful girl anyway, with or without ribbons in your hair."

Madzie giggles softly, and it surrounds Alec like a warm hug. He often wonders how it's possible to love someone so much, to the point that it hurts, without bursting at the seams.

He loves his family, his brothers and his sister and his friends, and even his parents, to a lesser degree. But he doubts there is anyone he loves as overwhelmingly as his daughter.

 

* * *

 

The Easter fair is buzzing with kids and their respective famiies, and when they first step through the gates of the school it's being held in, Alec worries that the amount of people will frighten Madzie. But she's surprisingly calm, possibly due to the fact that there are more kids than there are adults, and being around kids her age doesn't seem to frighten her.

The first day of school had been an interesting experience, but it's now something she enjoys, and is often excited to return to. Part of Alec hopes that this will occur along the same lines, that the fair is something they can come back to in future years.

He takes Madzie around to look at the stalls, but her attention is quickly captured by the main event, the egg hunt - by that point, even if there was hope for Alec to interest her in something else, he wouldn't try. The bright glint in her eyes is enchanting, and fills him with a special kind of happiness that only comes around Madzie.

He lets her run ahead, darting around bushes and trees with the small pink basket he'd bought for her earlier; naturally he keeps an eye on her, the bouncing of her ribboned braids the main thing he focuses on, an aspect that seperates her appearance from that of other kids.

Normally he doesn't have that much trouble finding her in a crowd, but there are a lot of other children racing around, similair in height and excitement and he doesn't want to assume he knows where his kid is and find out it's someone else's.

When she returns, her basket is full, though not enough to spill out, and Alec allows her an egg, partly because he's a sucker for her big round eyes and partly because she has been incredibly good in what is usually quite an intense situation for her.

Madzie is happily munching on her chocolate, basket in one hand and Alec's held tightly in the other, when a life-size pink bunny strolls casually towards them.

Alec feels Madzie's hand tighten around his. Her eyes are wide and cautious, and the colour has drained from her cheeks, her bottom lip pushed out in an expression that Alec recognises all too well.

"Madz?"

She doesn't answer, simply shakes her head curtly. She steps back, positioning herself behind his legs, where she's safe and hidden out of sight. Alec bends down until he's close enough to whisper knowing Madzie will be able to hear him.

"Is it the bunny?" He asks, watching her eyes, for they've always shown what she's feeling better than anything else. "Does it scare you?"

Madzie stares at her shoes, twisting the toe of her right foot into the ground. Alec takes that as a 'yes', and straightens up. He's expecting the pink bunny to be standing there, albeit awkwardly by his guess - except that's not quite what he sees.

A gasp of air slips between his parted lips, and he's too stunned to even bother fighting back the heat creeping up his neck. It's so far from what he'd been expecting it's ... well, quite truthfully, he'd been expecting the bunny to still be a bunny, or if the head of the costume been removed, an acne-ridden teenager.

Not the real-life Adonis that actually stands before him. High cheekbones, golden skin and gorgeous green eyes that actually _glimmer,_ a fact that is not helped by the bright, yet hesitant, smile or what Alec presumes can only be glitter sweeping his cheeks. A quick darting gaze reveals that there is more than just glitter on the man's cheeks - his lips are shimmering with gloss, his eyelids dusted with sparkling gold eyeshadow that beautifully highlights his warm skin...

Madzie squeezes his hand rather painfully, shocking Aleck out of his staring - and bringing to his attention the fact that he had been staring.

"I'm sorry," He apologies on behalf of Madzie, who it seems is still too frightened to step out from behind his legs. "She's not a big fan of costumes with masks or, or heads."

He doesn't reveal the whole reason, that Madzie gets frightened when she can't see people's faces, their eyes especially because looking into people's eyes is the only way she can truly build trust with someone.

"I'm sorry, too." The man responds. His voice is as soft and kind as his eyes - and now is not the time for Alec to be focusing on that, not when he has a frightened daughter to worry about. "The point of this costume wasn't to scare children - not that it was my plan to even wear this thing in the first place."

Alec frowns, wondering how the man ended up wearing a costume he didn't want to. He turns, patting Madzie's back gently. "It's okay," He promises her. "It's just a man, not a bunny. You're okay."

Madzie eyes him uncertainly, but steps forward, her hand still wrapped tightly around his. The man smiles at her gently, then bends at the knees until he's resting on his heels, hands clasped loosely in front of them, the head of the costume resting on the ground behind him.

"I'm Magnus," He says, tilting his head curiously, his eyes on Madzie's the entire time. "And I promise I'm a person, just like you."

Alec rubs his daughter's back, encouraging but not pushing. He's never made her do things she hadn't wanted to before, with the exception of eating her greens, and he's not about to start now.

"I'm Madzie," She mumbles, just loud enough to be heard. It reminds Alec, stark and fleeting, like the first time he met Madzie all those years ago. She's grown so much since then, the memory hitting Alec with a flooding sense of pride.

"Hello, Madzie."

Madzie looks up at Alec, tugging on his hand. There's a silent question in her eyes, one Alec deciphers quickly. He doesn't even attempt to resist his heartwarmed smile. He nods, once, and squeezes her hand gently as a sign of support.

"This is my daddy," She explains to Magnus, sounding almost proud, as strange as that is. Alec's prepared to jump in and introduce himself, but Madzie, apparently, isn't done.

"He's really tall, and he makes the best breakfasts and on weekends we put on music and dance in our PJ's." Sometimes Alec forgets that Madzie can become quite talkative when she's excited about something. "And he's the best daddy ever. Sometimes he brings home lollipops from his job and every night before bed he tucks me in, even if he has to go back to work."

Magnus glances up at Alec with actual sunshine in his eyes. It's more than just a little bewildering, and Alec's surprised to find his equilibirum intact. "How sweet. It's rare to find such an endearing father,"

His voice is wistful and distant, which Alec notes but doesn't comment on.

"Well, she deserves it. She's the best adoptive daughter a father could ask for." He decided when the adoption paperwork was being processed, that if it all worked out he would be honest with Madzie about where she came from, which includes not being shy about it.

"I'm Alec, by the way." He adds, once he realises that he hasn't even told Magnus his name. He has no idea how that slipped his mind.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alec." Magnus' voice caresses his name like a hug, and if Alec thought it was hard enough to keep his balance before, it's a wonder he's even standing now.

"As an apology for frightening you," He says to Madzie, straightening up. "How about I search out some chocolate. Or a stuffed toy, providing they don't scare you? I think we have some plush bunnies around somewhere."

Alec doesn't have to look at his daughter to know how brilliantly her face has lit up. "I think a plush bunny would be fine," He admits. "But you don't have to do that."

"I want to." Magnus reassures him, offering Madzie an award-winning smile. "I'll be right back.

"Thank you," Madzie says, premptively.

Magnus glances at Alec, a smirk playing across his lips. "But, if you feel there is an imbalance," He winks, he actually winks. "You can always make it up to me."

"How?" Alec asks, unfortunately curious.

"Hm, I could think of a few things." Magnus cradles the head of the costume in the crook of his arm. "Perhaps, the exchange of your number? For the toy."

There's a hesitancy in Magnus' eyes, that gives Alec the feeling he could say no without risking the disappointment of his daughter, who he knows wants the toy more and more with each mention.

Luckily, he wouldn't have to risk anything, anyway.

"I think that's fair." He says. "Perhaps when you have a free minute we could sort something out."

Magnus nods. "I would love that."

Alec doesn't say it, but he would too.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing Madzie - but certainly not my last! I love her, and am rather surprised it took me this long. 
> 
> there will likely be a sequel because this was a lot of fun to write - but I wanted to get it posted as close to Easter as possible and I was running out of time. Please let me know if you'd be interested in reading more! <3


End file.
